Caz soccer splits with Skaneateles, Marcellus

Taking a 6-2 record into the latter portion of the regular season, the Cazenovia boys soccer team appeared to be rounding into its best form, thanks to an impressive Sept. 21 3-0 shutout at state-ranked Class C power Manlius-Pebble Hill.

Then, in the annual Laker clash with Skaneateles last Tuesday night at the Sean Googin Sports Complex, Cazenovia was in position for another impressive victory, only to see it slip away in a tough 3-2 overtime defeat.

Though it was taking fewer shots, Cazenovia still got a 2-1 halftime lead thanks to goals from Kevin Porter and Cole Willard, with Ross Gerber joining Willard in the assist column.

Yet Cazenovia could not add to that margin, and despite Garrett Clabeaux’s 11 saves, he could not keep Skaneateles from tying it in the second half and prevailing in the sudden-victory OT period, as Sam Clymer scored twice and Tyler Strods added a goal for the visitors.

Angry at what had taken place against Skaneateles, Cazenovia channeled that anger into a strong performance on Friday night in a 2-0 shutout over Marcellus.

Despite its 6-2 record entering the game, the Mustangs found itself totally shut down, the Lakers’ back line forcing all kinds of turnovers and limiting the visitors to just four shots.

Cazenovia did not light it up too much, either, with just eight shots on Marcellus goalie Ian LaFever, but two of them found the net as Henry Mann and Peter Burr got the goals, with Gerber and Derek White earning assists.

In girls soccer, Cazenovia was at home Wednesday night, facing Solvay, and big efforts from Audrey Burbidge and Casey Crawford helped the Lakers roll past the Bearcats 4-1.

Attacking hard from the start, Cazenovia seized a 2-0 lead by halftime, and overcame both Nicole Antonacci’s second-half tally and 11 saves from Solvay goalie Chelsie Delperuto to finish in front.

Burbidge found the net twice and added an assist, while Crawford dished out a pair of assists to go with her lone goal. Hannah Rousell had the other goal as Maggie Johnson stopped six of the seven shots she faced.

The Lakers could not keep up that momentum in Friday’s game at Westhill, though, as it gave up all the goals in the second half of a 3-0 defeat to the Warriors.

Johnson, under pressure all night, made 15 saves, but watched Westhill break it open following a 0-0 first half as the Lakers fell to 6-2 on the season.

After going to Phoenix on Tuesday, Cazenovia’s girls face its toughest stretch of the season when it has to visit Skaneateles on Thursday and Marcellus on Saturday night. In that same stretch, the boys Lakers host both Phoenix and Rome Free Academy, with a trip to Jordan-Elbridge in between.